Playlist 4: The Best of Air

Week four of Sound Screen’s Spotify Sunday brings the first sole band focus: looking at French electro gods Air, who are not exactly well-credited for their work, despite the odd tune being truly remembered by the average Joe. Matt Gardner explains why he loves the Gallic duo so much, giving Spotify users access to the playlist for The Best of Air.

You know what? Air are better than you think. Really, they are. They’ve done some of the finest works that have been released in the last 15 years in the world of electro/pop, yet they very rarely get the credit they deserve. Quite frankly, it’s pretty obscene.

Starting out with a raft of singles, the duo – Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel – formed in 1995 and later charted their rise to success by grouping together their seven most prolific early songs in debut EP Premiers Symptomes, a fine work which brought ‘Modular Mix’, ‘Les Professionels’, ‘J’ai Dormi Sous L’eau’ and ‘Brakes On’ – the latter using a US report into The Beatles when they were at the height of their fame in the early-to-mid 1960s.

The duo showcased their love for pioneers of the chanson and electro styles, notably Vangelis and fellow French artists Jean Michel Jarre and Serge Gainsbourg, and this clearly came through in their first release. From there, it was super-stardom they were after, though only a select few people still realise just how nigh-on perfect an album their 1998 follow-up Moon Safari was, using effortlessly catchy tunes to create some of the more unforgettable songs in their armoury.

Songs of note include ‘Remember’, ‘All I Need’ and ‘You Make It Easy’ – recorded with Beth Hirsch – as well as perhaps their most popular song ‘Sexy Boy’, which was only surpassed by its dream-like video starring Nicolas, Jean-Benoît and a stuffed monkey.

It was from here that they recorded the soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides, an early vehicle for Kirsten Dunst and a recording which spawned countless plays on Top Gear, notably the song ‘Dead Bodies’, an up-tempo fear-fest which helps along the critical point of the film with effortless ambience.

However, the main song – ‘Playground Love’ – is perhaps the jewel in the crown, with Gordon Tracks pairing up with Air to produce one of the most emotive songs in recent memory, with an amazing saxophone solo that works to a crescendo of down-tempo synth and basic bass, sending shivers up anyone’s spine. It also influences later tracks including ‘Bathroom Girl’ and ‘Highschool Lover’.

Following their capitulation with the film score, Air produced possibly their least-enjoyed album of their first five offerings with 10,000Hz Legend, which saw the pair experiment with a more diverse electronic sound as well as longer tracks and still managed to create some fantastic stand-alone tunes: ‘Electronic Performers’, which builds to a huge classical finish; ‘Radio Number 1′, a more pop-friendly hit with one of the weirdest videos going; ‘The Vagabond’, which sees the duo pair up with Beck with wonderful results; and ”Don’t Be Light’, which leaves an indelible mark when watched with the accompanying video.

Finally, Talkie Walkie arrived three years later in 2004, producing some songs which were hard to forget, culminating in another near-perfect album. ‘Cherry Blossom Girl’ is a touching song of unrequited love; ‘Run’ is a trippy track more in-line with earlier works; and ‘Surfing On A Rocket’ also uses the power of video to create a fantastical dream world and probably one of their most recognisable melodies.

Meanwhile, ‘Alpha Beta Gaga ’shot to fame when used in a popular mobile phone company advert (and is likely one of the most whistled songs in the history of the world), ‘Biological’ is a stoner’s dream and ‘Alone In Kyoto’ charts a whole load of nothing – that is, of course, until you listen to it when it is used in Lost in Translation and it suddenly becomes a masterpiece, much like the film.

I could go on about Air all day. Truth is, you’ve just got to listen to them and see where they take you. They’ve released Pocket Symphony and Love 2 since which, while they have their great songs, represent an era so different to their first nine years together, and nine years that should never be forgotten. Air are possibly only second to The Beatles in my list of greatest bands, if not on par. Grandiose statement yes, but unfair? I don’t think so.

By Matt Gardner

Full track listing:

Modular Mix (Premiers Symptomes)
Les Professionels (Premiers Symptomes)
J’ai Dormi Sous L’eau (Premiers Symptomes)
Brakes On (Premiers Symptomes)
Sexy Boy (Moon Safari)
La Femme D’argent (Moon Safari)
All I Need (Moon Safari)
Kelly Watch The Stars (Moon Safari)
Remember (Moon Safari)
You Make It Easy (Moon Safari)
Ce Matin-La (Moon Safari)
Playground Love (The Virgin Suicides)
Bathroom Girl (The Virgin Suicides)
Highschool Lover (The Virgin Suicides)
Dead Bodies (The Virgin Suicides)
Electronic Performers (10,000Hz Legend)
Radio Number 1 (10,000Hz Legend)
The Vagabond (10,000Hz Legend)
Don’t Be Light (10,000Hz Legend)
Cherry Blossom Girl (Talkie Walkie)
Run (Talkie Walkie)
Surfing On A Rocket (Talkie Walkie)
Alpha Beta Gaga (Talkie Walkie)
Biological (Talkie Walkie)
Alone In Kyoto (Talkie Walkie)